Hi,

I am working on planning a route from Portland OR to Schenectady NY that goes through Yellowstone, Grand Rapid MI and Indianapolis IN. I have never planned a route outside of Portland before which has great resources for biking. I have looked a the Adventure Cycling maps/routes and I would have to piecemeal the legs from 4 or 5 different rides together to get what I want. Any other less expensive ways to put together a safe cross country route?

Thanks!

Take a compass and head East!

Why not look at Google Map bike options, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Po...42.8142432!3e1

Would look at crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: A place for bicycle tourists and their journals lots of resources/blogs on there which may be of use.

A lot of states publish a bicycle map showing what highways have shoulders and sometimes what the traffic volume is. You might look for those. I've used those maps for Colorado, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania and found them helpful.

I haven't done routes that long (yet) but I use ridewithgps to create routes pretty easily

For that distance I would use "Google Map: auto option + avoid highways" instead. Sometimes the bike options picks more awkward choices.

In addition to checking journals of riders, I would also just take a look at state highway maps.

First time I crossed the US (1992), I went from Portland to Portland* - I picked an overall approach using a PC program "Automap" and then fine tuned with state highway maps from there.

Google maps and RWGPS.com, as suggested already, then pull up the routes on a smart phone or tablet. If not into electronic gadgets, transfer the route to paper maps, then trim and tape to booklet size for convenient reference. You can order free maps from each states tourist bureau.

If looking for formal campgrounds, just type 'camping' in the Google maps search field. Every red dot is a camp ground. Here is another good source.

I think this is a good idea. I've used state bike maps for touring in Iowa and Wisconsin. The maps indicate trails, as well as roads that are recommended for bicyclists based on the amount of traffic and whether they have wide shoulders. Unfortunately, I don't know if every state has them. Google maps are valuable, but sometimes the routes that are recommended for bike travel aren't real practical, i.e., hills and narrow roads with bad shoulders.

+1

You might want to consider something like this:
Follow either the ACA Trans Am route or US Highway 20 to Yellowstone NP. They both converge in southern Idaho, and I-84 needs to be used for about 80 miles. They also converge again in Yellowstone. When you reach Yellowstone take US Highway 20 east out of the park to eastern Illinois.

I've ridden the Highway 20 route across the U.S. to Boston so the following to Indianapolis and up to Grand Rapids is just how I would approach it without much first hand knowledge. Start dropping south when you reach eastern Iowa toward Indianapolis. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out a route. From Indianapolis to Grand Rapids is pretty much the same thing. Use Google maps, road maps and some of ACA's material. ACA routes can be down loaded online. You don't need all the turn-by-turn instruction; just the names of the towns the route goes through. From Grand Rapids (I have ridden from Grand Rapids to withing 30 miles of Toledo) drop down to Toledo, Ohio and catch Highway 20 again and follow it into Albany, NY. That should be close enough. I've also ridden the the part from Toledo to Albany.

There will be parts of Highway 20 that turn into freeway and alternate roads need to be taken. There are also areas in Iowa that are narrow with marginal shoulders, but it is all doable. Highway 20 was a great ride coast to coast. It is the only contiguous highway that spans the country.

Good luck, and I'm sure you will get a lot of route advice from other forum members.

You can pick up road maps from ... your local service station (gas station), book shop, newsagency, sporting goods shop, automobile association, and of course, your local tourist information centre.
I highly recommend finding and going to your local tourist information centre to see what information they can provide.


You can check with cycling associations for each state you go through and see if they've got maps ... bicycle shops often stock cycling-related maps of the local area and sometimes further afield.


You can go to your local library and browse through their selection of cycletouring books ... sometimes you can get lucky and find a book that talks about cycletouring through the area you want to go.


You can look at Google ... although it may not give you the detail that a paper map will.


You can just start cycling and see where you end up.

I've had good luck Googling "state name bicycle map". Even if there isn't an official bicycle map, nearly all state transportation departments have traffic count maps that will give you an idea about which road to take. I've also found it super helpful to turn on the Street View overview on Google maps. If a road is paved (and often even if it isn't) there's a good chance a Google car has mapped it. You can zoom in to get an idea of road and shoulder conditions as well as traffic volume.

I can't explain how this works, but I've found it best to pick an intermediate destination and work backwards to your starting point. I'd also be prepared to go through about 5 iterations of your route before getting to something that works.

Put one dollar in a coffee can at the end of each day and I you will have more than enough to buy the ACA maps by the time you are ready to leave.

I suggest roughing out a route based on the places you want to see and then going into the various regional subforums on here and asking the locals for input. It worked great for me on a cross country.... Have fun!

There is plenty of great advice found here and at crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: A place for bicycle tourists and their journals. A question to ask yourself is what you desire out of a cross country trip. The ACA maps and route are great yet following these this results in a different experience than following routes that are off the beaten ACA path. The ACA routes are cyclist friendly where people along the route are accustomed to touring cyclists. The support services may be a bit more frequent along these routes. Following the meandering path off the ACA routes may result in a very different set of experiences. Here the locals are not a custom to touring cyclists. You are a bit more of a novelty and this can end up with some amazing experiences. Which is better? That’s not a question anybody can answer but much of it depends upon your own personality. How well do you interact with total strangers? Can you pick up a conversation with just about anybody at any time? Do you look to interact with people? Can you tolerate the same questions over and over again?

Again there is no best way. If you start one way you can always change your route to the other. One piece of advice that I can give is embrace the unknown and do not be afraid to deviate from your original plans. Have fun!

Wells Horton
Sherburne, NY

+1 This is one reason why I like to use Google Map bike directions. You never know what they will dish up. Sometimes its a very pleasant surprise, sometimes it's close to a disaster. Be prepared to improvise and ask directions. You can meet some really nice people just being forced to ask for directions sometimes, and they like meeting you.

US ACA maps are OK along their Researched route, But it's a narrow strip .

I have not found any US equivalent of the Ordinance survey maps I got in Ireland and England. Scotland.

large panel and showing where the interesting distractions of historical places to visit along the way ,

off the narrow strip, but on a large panel map ..

Each US state has a Map they Publish gratis, and nowadays offers a online version too ..

Oregon has some they publish that are Bike specific..

+1

My wife and I tend to stay off the established and popular bike routes for those exact reasons.

I even get asked Q's as if a cycle-tourist , even making a grocery run on my Bike.